WEIR TURN OF EVENTS

Emerging from long slump, Canadian tied for 3rd behind Snedeker, Choi

“I love the game,” he said. “And even as poor as I was playing, I knew it was in there. If I didn’t have the desire to wake up every morning and keep working hard, I wouldn’t have done it, because it’s very difficult.”

There is a pair of people with considerable influence on his optimism. When Weir won the Masters in 2003, beating Len Mattiace in a playoff, his two daughters weren’t even in grade school and had no clue what their daddy had accomplished. Now Elle is 15 and Lili is 12, and they ride him about wanting to see a ninth PGA Tour win from him.

“They’re positive, you know,” Weir said. “They see their dad work hard every day, so they are very encouraging and positive. Even if I have a bad week, they’re like, ‘C’mon, Dad, next week.’ ”